Ali Annisipour (Bellevue, Wash.) does not take his sport lightly. One of the rising stars on the U.S. National Karate Team, Annisipour’s determination and drive for success are evident in all that he does.
Coached by Julius and Katherine Thirey at the Washington Karate Association, Annisipour began competing when he was 12 years old.
“I actually was a competitive swimmer until I was 12, but was getting burnt out with it. I decided to try another sport and fell in love with karate. I was pretty athletically talented from swimming and the transition was easy.”
Annisipour earned his black belt at age 16 and went on to claim a spot on the junior national team. With exceptional speed, strength and agility, he dominated the podium as a junior competitor.
Now 22, Annisipour is adjusting to the transition of fighting at the senior level, where top competitors range in age from 27 to 33 years old.
“As a junior, I was consistently winning all sorts of competitions,” Annisipour recalls. “Then when I turned 18, I won the senior nationals and that put me on the A team. I had to go and fight internationally and I was the little kid against the men. I suffered some losses, which I wasn’t used to. It has really taken a couple of years to adjust to the change in competition.”
Transitions aside, Annisipour has already made his mark on the senior level. A 2002 Pan American Championships gold medalist, he is also the reigning U.S. National Heavyweight Champion, a title he has owned for the last three consecutive years.
Focused on winning his fourth national title, Annisipour is also looking ahead to the Hayashi-Ha World Championships, Aug. 2-3 in Sweden.
“I want to win both the heavyweight and open weight at Nationals. I also want to establish myself as one of the top competitors in the world by winning international competitions. I have to get prepared and established before Worlds.”
As if his commitment to achieving success at the highest level of karate wasn’t enough, Annisipour is also working on his future career. A pre-med student, on scholarship at the University of Washington, he is pursuing his goal of being a reconstructive surgeon.
As time has passed, Annisipour has become wiser about his karate success.
“I’m learning that no matter how hard you work or how physically talented you are, you may not win. You have to gain the experience and go into fights with strategy. Karate is such a mental sport, you have to outsmart your opponent and go in on attack mode.”
